BATON ROUGE -- With a coast-to-coast, pearly white smile and an all-name team moniker, LSU Tigers defensive end Barkevious Mingo is used to having attention diverted from his game.

And in case you haven't heard, he isn't a pass rush specialist any more. Mingo is etched in stone as the starter on the left side opposite All-American Sam Montgomery for this season.

Barkevious Mingo

"Yeah, I think that's inaccurate," said Mingo, flashing his 100 megawatt grin. "I consider myself an every-down defensive end. I'm not an outside linebacker or speed rushing end -- I'm a defensive end. It gets annoying, but it drives me to want to play my best."

Fans and observers could be forgiven for the mistaken impression. He was rated as a four-star linebacker by recruiting services and arrived at LSU three years ago with 200 pounds stretched over his 6-feet-5 frame and speed to burn. He won the Class 5A state title in the 400-meter dash as a senior, and some on the coaching staff thought he was athletic enough to play strong safety.

But end is where he is, and no player's stock has risen faster. In May, Mingo was rated by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper as the No. 3 player in next year's draft, two spots ahead of Montgomery. Mingo can solidify that rating with a big year in his first as a full-time starter.

"Mingo is speed turned all the way to the maximum," Montgomery said. "He can do some things I will never be able to do. I kind of get jealous, but try to mimic him and he laughs at me.

"I think he wants it to be a surprise to the world. He's capable of doing so much more than pass rushing."

Mingo does have some work to do to get up to speed. Two weeks ago he injured his left arm and shoulder in the weight room, and he has been wearing a green no-contact jersey in practice. He said it's no big deal and expects to be full speed soon, but the inactivity has contributed to a weight drop from 247 last year to 235.

LSU Coach Les Miles expressed no concern but acknowledged Mingo has to beef up by the start of the season.

"He'll gain some weight," Miles said. "We'll take care of Keke. He'll be OK, he just needs to regear his eating apparatus."

Mingo said he lost the weight during the course of last season when he rotated with Ken Adams and Lavar Edwards. He was second on the team and third in the SEC in tackles for a loss, among them eight sacks with 43 tackles overall, and with Montgomery forms perhaps the top end tandem in the nation.

"His games were like highlight films," said LSU offensive tackle Chris Faulk, who goes head-to-head with Mingo every day.

As well as Mingo played, he still has to get better against the run or teams will try to take advantage of his speed rush, or muscle him with big offensive tackles.

"I could have played more physical last year," he said. "It's just one of those things you get over time. I know now what it takes to get it done.

"(Last season) I learned not to give up and finish every play. That last game left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. We don't want that to happen again."

One championship Mingo did win came before he played his first down at LSU. He won the 2009 Lord and Master title at Name of the Year, a website devoted to compiling and ranking interesting names since 1983. Among others, Mingo edged out Iris Macdangdang to join past winners, such as Assumption Bulltron and Miracle Wanzo.

After 21 years of hearing about it, Mingo takes it in stride. Even in high school at track meets Mingo said announcers often stumbled over it.

"It doesn't bother me," said Mingo, who prefers to go by his nickname Keke. "It gets kind of humorous."

Barkevious has a similar beginning to Reese's peanut butter cups. His father, Hugh Mingo, named two of Mingo's older brothers Hugh and Hughtavious. After that, his mother, Barbara Johnson, stepped in and combined the first three letters of her name with a name she liked -- Kevious.

"She didn't want any more of that," he said. "She wanted her name in there."

Announcers will have to prepare to use it more frequently.

"This is my chance and I want to have a big year, individually and as a team, and I think we will" Mingo said. "I've got lots of good teammates around me. We want to finish this season and leave our mark."

SOLD OUT: LSU sold out of season tickets for the ninth consecutive season, the school announced Saturday. LSU, which plays eight home games this season, equaled the record 68,772 season tickets sold last season.